1997 Lotus Elise Photos, engines & full specs

The Elise was one of the most important vehicles in the Lotus' history since it changed the company and led it into the third millennium with a lightweight, mid-engine roadster.

When Collin Chapman established the Lotus car company back in 1948, his idea was not to put large engines in a vehicle to make it faster but to make it lighter. Using aluminum spares from the aircraft industry and small-size engines, he created one of the most iconic roadsters in the world, the famous Lotus Seven. Later, the automaker evolved its lineup into more luxurious, powerful, and heavier vehicles, which was not a successful recipe. In 1996, though, that changed drastically when Lotus unveiled the Elise. By using bonded, hydroformed aluminum, Richard Rackham, head of Lotus's engineering, created a 68 kg (150 lbs) chassis, installed a Rover K-series engine behind the cabin, and the result was a roadster that weighted less than any other sports car in the world. At that time, Romano Artioli was the chairman of Lotus, and he named the car after his granddaughter, Elise.

The car's front fascia featured a pair of round headlights mounted on the fenders, while the turn signals were mounted on the upper side of the bumper, between them. One of the particular design elements of the car was the two functional vents on the hood that helped to cool the radiator mounted between them and the air intake cut into the lower side of the bumper.

From its profile, the little British roadster featured a raked windshield, and a short cabin fit for two people. On the side, the sculptured door panels led the airflow towards the rear intakes to the engine. Customers could have the car with either a rag top or a removable rigid one. After the cabin, the deck covered the engine and the trunk, which was behind the engine. Depending on the options, the car featured a small wing out back, in addition to the fixed spoiler that incorporated the third braking light. The Elise's twin taillights echoed those installed on the 1957 Lotus Elite.

When Lotus created the Elise, it tried to keep everything simple, so the car's cabin was scarce and minimalistic. Its exposed aluminum elements and the thin seats were just part of the lightweight package offered by the Roadster. There was a very slim center console between the occupants, and in front of the driver was an instrument cluster that featured the large dials of the speedometer and tachometer, plus additional warning lights.

Lotus sourced its engines from the British automaker Rover, which provided the 1.8-liter inline-four powerplant. Thanks to the lightweight construction, the car could accelerate very fast and was capable of high-speed cornering. The five-speed manual gearbox was the only available option for the Elise.